The scorecard at Blythefield Country Club tells a very specific story. If you plan to win the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, then you better score. The average winner’s total over the past five years is 21-under par. With five par-5s across 18 holes, it is no wonder the world’s best women show out and go low each year in Belmont, Michigan. An interesting preview for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, 12 of the top 25 women in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are ready to compete.
The field of 144 will be cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes. Three million dollars await the weekend warriors and $450,000 for first place. Seven of the nine different winners are major champions, and the defending champion is Solheim Cup star Leona Maguire. Something about this layout brings out incredible leaderboards, but diving into the details of the last few years produces trends that’ll likely show again this time around.
Nelly Korda highlights an incredible field this week, after last appearing at the U.S. Women’s Open in Lancaster. Three years ago, Korda captured our attention by winning the Meijer LPGA Classic and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in back-to-back weeks. How did she and others conquer the field in Michigan? The secret could start with the scorecard. Blythefield Country Club has unique routing; there are five par-3s, five par-5s, and eight par-4s.
At an average of 508 yards in length, the par 5s are gettable. Past winners have destroyed the fives on their way to the winner’s circle. The best par 5 players ready to compete in this field near the top of the odds board are: Korda, Alison Lee, Atthaya Thitikul, and Georgia Hall. With five of these per round, you get 20 super scoring chances over 72 holes.
On the other end of the scoring spectrum, the field has their hands full on the par 3s. The par 3s at Blythefield are tough. Four play uphill, while the 13th hole measures 234 yards. Minjee Lee leads the LPGA Tour in par-3 scoring and is closely followed in the field by Xiyu Lin and Lilia Vu, with Vu back in action this week since withdrawing from The Chevron Championship. It could be an unbelievable edge when you consider the last two top-10 finishers at the Meijer earned a 2.90 scoring average on the 3s.
The average green size at Blythfield is 4,500 sq/ft. The fourth smallest greens on tour, BCC is also the seventh-longest course. Approach play to these small targets is the last key for success. Minjee Lee is again the leader on Tour for iron play. Narin An, Ariya Jutanugarn, and Carlota Ciganda are next for those in the field. Ciganda is also top 10 in the field for par-5 scoring. Coming off a top 20 at the U.S. Women’s Open, her last two starts at the Meijer LPGA Classic were an eighth- and fifth-place finish.
When it comes to this event, ball strikers come out the most rewarded. That keeps the weekend very exciting. While the men get punished down at Pinehurst, stay tuned to Golf Channel and CBS this week for the LPGA Tour’s No. 1 player in Michigan. She and an elite field are prepping for not just their next major, but to also take advantage of some mid-season momentum.
Keith Stewart is an award-winning PGA Professional. He covers the LPGA and PGA TOUR for Golf Digest, Sports Grid, The Sporting News, LPGA, and PGA TOUR. If you are looking to raise your golf acumen and love inside information about the game, check out his weekly newsletter called Read The Line.
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